Mary's age

[appy]

In an old thread, someone said that Mary was around 13, 14 years old when she got married. I don't recall anything in the bible that even mentions her age. Where would someone even get this idea?

[Botz]

In an old thread, someone said that Mary was around 13, 14 years old when she got married. I don't recall anything in the bible that even mentions her age. Where would someone even get this idea?

Hello LBC,

I think it comes from a widely accepted understanding that in those days this was often the traditional age at which a Jewish girl became 'betrothed'...nothing much has changed since then in some Orthodox circles.

It is believed that most of the disciples were also far younger than traditional understanding in writings or later paintings have often portrayed, I personally think John may have only been about 14 when called by Jesus...from a biblical

aspect what makes me suspect this is the way his relationship with the L-rd is often described 'the disciple that Jesus loved'...this always baffled me as it seemed to place him above the others, but if you

skip to where Jesus is dying on the cross you see this lovely interaction where He commends John to His mother and His mother to John. I see the love Jesus had for John as more specifically that of a

Father for a son, and it is significant in the way John writes....my conclusion is that His love towards John is not better, just different.

Going back to Mary....one of the things I have noticed is that many Pastors and Teachers are beginning to provide a much more detailed hebraic back-ground to some of their listeners...all of which is a

good thing in many ways, and something that is gaining momentum slowly as the Body wakes up to the realization that much of our traditional understanding has effectively by-passed so much that

is directly connected to everything Jewish, including a proper contextual understanding of Scripture.

Two words of caution: 1. Unscrupulous individuals will seize hold of this is wrong way and try to own it and use it for their own ends. (to add authority/authenticity, to their ministry, and as a cash-cow)

2. It is imperative that we check things out for ourselves, because some of the stories/teachings that are being

taught, seem to have a life of their own based on hearsay...but they seem so believable and apt when applied

to certain biblical passages.

This is why the question you ask about Mary is a good one...If you check out sources on the web (more especially ones based in Jewish law), you will find that the age a man is permitted to marry is 13, and a girl 12,

as set by the Rabbis. Although I have also heard more specifically that this is 12 years and one day, 12 years and six months or from the time of the first period.

However betrothal (a contract of engagement but legally binding) can occur even earlier. Mary was probably around 14-16 when she bore Jesus, but we can't be dogmatic about this...

Kind regards. Botz

[Guest shiloh357]

Botz is correct. Children were often married at what would seem like a very young age to us, today. Once they were of marriable age, they were betrothed and the bridegroom would spend the next year or two preparing a place for his wife-to-be. Boys were already taking on adult responsibility has early as 13 or 14 usually following the footsteps of their father.

They matured much faster than kids do today. Marriages were arranged and as soon as you were of marriable age, you were betrothed and you worked to provide for your future family. People died at a much earlier age, so they started having chilldren and started families much earlier. Large families were a blessing from the Lord and so women had more children earlier while their bodies were strong enough to have children. If you started having children at 16, you could have a pretty large family by the time you were 30.

Some scholars indicate that the disciples were from between 14 (John) to 18 (Peter) years of age.

[mizzdy]

I don't want to derail this thread but which scholars think that the apostles were that young! Could someone please point me to them? If they were 14 they were prettty young to just walk away from their fathers. I have always thought they were at least 18 or so, would Yeshua being 30 take young teens with Him? Just never heard this before.

[nebula]

I don't want to derail this thread but which scholars think that the apostles were that young! Could someone please point me to them? If they were 14 they were prettty young to just walk away from their fathers. I have always thought they were at least 18 or so, would Yeshua being 30 take young teens with Him? Just never heard this before.

Several years ago, someone showed the calculations from the believed time John wrote Revelation and his age to the time of Jesus.

Edit: Can't find it.

I believe it was written by a poster named: apothanein kerdos

If anyone wants to do a seek and search

Edited February 3, 2012 by nebula

[Guest shiloh357]

I don't want to derail this thread but which scholars think that the apostles were that young! Could someone please point me to them?

I will have to back through my class notes to see exactly who, but there are several of them. In fact, it is almost common knowledge.

Matt. 17:27, Jesus paid the tax for Himself and Peter, 1/2 shekel each. Taxes were not required for anyone under 20 years of age, so Peter, by this point in Jesus' three-year ministry was at least 20 years of age. The other disiples were there too, but Jesus would not be required to come up with taxes for the other disciples if they were teenagers. That is not held up as "proof" that they were teens, but it suggests that they could have been.

If they were 14 they were prettty young to just walk away from their fathers.

They didn't walk away from their fathers. They usally worked with their fathers and lived next door and in some cases, even in the same household, depending on the situation. It was very common for the family business to be located on the same property as the house in which they lived. They simply learned their father's trade and carried on the family business after his death.

I have always thought they were at least 18 or so, would Yeshua being 30 take young teens with Him? Just never heard this before.

Yes, but these were not teens the way we think of them today. Teenagers were far more responsible than they are today and were expected to grow up faster.

[mizzdy]

I don't want to derail this thread but which scholars think that the apostles were that young! Could someone please point me to them?

I will have to back through my class notes to see exactly who, but there are several of them. In fact, it is almost common knowledge.

Matt. 17:27, Jesus paid the tax for Himself and Peter, 1/2 shekel each. Taxes were not required for anyone under 20 years of age, so Peter, by this point in Jesus' three-year ministry was at least 20 years of age. The other disiples were there too, but Jesus would not be required to come up with taxes for the other disciples if they were teenagers. That is not held up as "proof" that they were teens, but it suggests that they could have been.

If they were 14 they were prettty young to just walk away from their fathers.

They didn't walk away from their fathers. They usally worked with their fathers and lived next door and in some cases, even in the same household, depending on the situation. It was very common for the family business to be located on the same property as the house in which they lived. They simply learned their father's trade and carried on the family business after his death.

I have always thought they were at least 18 or so, would Yeshua being 30 take young teens with Him? Just never heard this before.

Yes, but these were not teens the way we think of them today. Teenagers were far more responsible than they are today and were expected to grow up faster.

Yes I do understand that in that society teens were not what they are today! John was an old man or elderly when he died I thought. 17-20 I can wrap my brain around but not 13 or 14 even if at that time they were matured and had been in Torah study most all their lives. I do know how family businesses worked at that time, that practice in some parts of the world can still be seen. I wouldnt think that Yeshua called 'old men', definately not older than He was anyhow, I just always thought of them as about 17-20 when He called them.

shalom,

Mizz

[Guest shiloh357]

Yes I do understand that in that society teens were not what they are today! John was an old man or elderly when he died I thought. 17-20 I can wrap my brain around but not 13 or 14 even if at that time they were matured and had been in Torah study most all their lives. I do know how family businesses worked at that time, that practice in some parts of the world can still be seen. I wouldnt think that Yeshua called 'old men', definately not older than He was anyhow, I just always thought of them as about 17-20 when He called them.

Remember when the disciples were jockeying for who would get to sit next to Jesus or who would be the greatest in the Kingdom? Doesn't that sound like something teenage boys would talk about? I mean, they were far more mature than 14 and 15 year olds today, but they were still teens and the natural psychological development of a person's mind would still be in process no matter how they were raised 'cause boys will be boys.

I don't think they were all 14 year olds. But I would not think that any of them were over 20.

[mizzdy]

Yes I do understand that in that society teens were not what they are today! John was an old man or elderly when he died I thought. 17-20 I can wrap my brain around but not 13 or 14 even if at that time they were matured and had been in Torah study most all their lives. I do know how family businesses worked at that time, that practice in some parts of the world can still be seen. I wouldnt think that Yeshua called 'old men', definately not older than He was anyhow, I just always thought of them as about 17-20 when He called them.

Remember when the disciples were jockeying for who would get to sit next to Jesus or who would be the greatest in the Kingdom? Doesn't that sound like something teenage boys would talk about? I mean, they were far more mature than 14 and 15 year olds today, but they were still teens and the natural psychological development of a person's mind would still be in process no matter how they were raised 'cause boys will be boys.

I don't think they were all 14 year olds. But I would not think that any of them were over 20.

I agree with them being under 20 just have hard time seeing them as 14 year olds thats all. I can also see a 20 something acting just as bad as a teen too. The phrase 'sons of thunder' reminds me of young men, late teens, brothers fighting being boisterous.

shalom,

Mizz

[Littlelambseativy]

But Simon Peter had a wife and the mother-in-law that sounded as though she lived with them. If he were even in his 20's with any children (which are not mentioned) would the wife want him leaving? The only one that could have been a younger males would be Jesus' cousin John and Mark. Luke was a physician and besides they were well educated in order to write. That meant schooling in the temple or with the scribes. NO? I realize that Jesus could have taught them but ?